How much paint do I need for a 10×12 room?
A 10 × 12 ft room with 8 ft ceilings has about 301 square feet of wall after a door and two windows. Two coats takes 1.6 gallons of wall paint, so buy 2 gallons. The 120 square foot ceiling needs 1 gallon for two coats. One coat of primer on bare or patched drywall is another 2 gallons.
Paint for a 10×12 room by number of coats
| Coats | Wall paint, exact | Wall paint to buy | Ceiling paint |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.80 gal | 1 gal | 1 gal |
| 2 | 1.61 gal | 2 gal | 1 gal |
| 3 | 2.41 gal | 3 gal | 1 gal |
Based on 8 ft ceilings, one door, two windows, and 375 square feet per gallon. Primer, if the walls need it, is 2 gallons for one coat.
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Gallons, quarts, and what a 10×12 room costs to paint
Wall paint costs $30 to $60 a gallon, so two coats on this room is $60 to $120, plus $25 to $45 for ceiling paint. Buy the rounded-up amount; the leftover is your touch-up supply for years. A painter charges roughly $2 to $4 per square foot of wall, or $602 to $1,204 for the walls alone. Rollers, a cut-in brush, tape, and a drop cloth add $30 to $50 for a DIY job.
Painting a 10×12 room
- Ceiling first, then walls, then trim. One gallon of flat ceiling paint covers this 120 square foot ceiling twice.
- Going from a dark color to a light one, or painting over patches, needs primer or a third coat. Budget 3 gallons for three coats.
- Cut in one wall at a time and roll while the edge is wet to avoid lap marks.
- Two coats of wall paint on this room is about 3 to 5 hours of work for one person, not counting prep.
- Trim and doors: a quart covers the baseboard and door casing in a room this size; see the trim calculator for linear feet.
Papering instead? The wallpaper calculator uses the same room dimensions.
Common questions
How many gallons of paint for a 10x12 room with 8 foot ceilings?
2 gallons for two coats on the walls (1.6 gallons exact), 1 for one coat, or 3 for three. Add 1 gallon for the ceiling.
Is one gallon enough for a 10x12 room?
Yes for one coat on the walls, but not for two. One gallon covers about 375 square feet, and this room has 301 square feet of wall, so two coats needs 1.6 gallons.
Do I need primer for a 10x12 room?
Only on new drywall, repaired patches, glossy surfaces, or when covering a dark color. One coat takes 2 gallons. On previously painted walls in good shape, a quality paint-and-primer product with two coats is enough.